All Posts by alex dobie

UK carrier appears to be following in the footsteps of T-Mobile USA, allowing customers to pay off their phone separately to their service plan
O2 UK has announced the launch of "O2 Refresh," a new kind of price plan designed to disconnect the cost of smartphones from the cost of service plans. On O2 Refresh, customers effectively pay a separate service charge and monthly installments towards...

Prepaid carrier to launch LG's cheap and cheerful LTE handset, says @evleaks
LG's Optimus F series is all about introducing low-cost, mid-range LTE-capable hardware to the market, and so a prepaid carrier like Boost Mobile seems a natural fit for the Optimus F7, the higher-specced device of the two. According to prolific Twitter leaker @evleaks and 9to5Google, that's exactly where the Optimus...

Should be more stable than the latest nightlies
The third batch of 'M snapshot' builds for CyanogenMod 10.1 are starting to roll off the servers today. The 'M' builds of the Android 4.2-based custom firmware are designed to be more stable than the regular nightly builds, while still allowing users to keep on top of the latest features and improvements.
Right now CM 10.1 M3 builds are available...

Crowd-sourced mapping tool arrives on British shores
Long absent from the country, Google's crowd-sourced mapping tool Google Map Maker has finally arrived in the UK today. The tool allow Brits to improve the mapping data provided through Google's web and mobile-based products by adding missing information, or bringing more detail to existing maps.
Google's kicking things off with a MapUp...

Virtual tours of design events Milan, New York and Hong Kong
HTC has released a new virtual tour app for Android in partnership with design magazine Wallpaper*. The app launches today with tours of design events in Milan, to be followed by New York and Hong Kong next month. The initial Milan tour, from the Salone del Mobile home furnishing show, includes guides from Wallpaper* editor-at-large...

Full spec listings for the new 5.8- and 6.3-inch smartphones
Samsung has just announced the Galaxy Mega series, two new mid-range Android phones with ridiculously large screens. The Galaxy Megas' hardware isn't exactly high-end, but they're nothing to sniff at either. In particular the 6.3-inch version boasts a HD screen and LTE connectivity, and a sleeker overall design.
We've got the full...

Android 4.2 and the latest Samsung software on new, larger-than-life devices
After a couple of weeks of rumors, Samsung has today officially confirmed the Galaxy Mega series -- a line of big-screen smartphones aimed to straddle the space between the traditional phone and tablet markets. The official names, as rumored, are Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3.
Unlike the popular Galaxy Note...

Samsung's marketing machine kicks up a gear with new TV ad
A world away from the goofy Super Bowl ads and iPhone mockery of old, Samsung's just sent over its first teaser ad for the Galaxy S4... and it's actually pretty good. The ad puts the product itself front and center, with dramatic close-ups of its design followed by quick demos of some of the headline features. Check it out above, and...

U.S. will get the 5.5-inch model on AT&T, May 10 pegged as likely launch date
U.S. carrier AT&T will launch the LG Optimus G Pro this May, Android Central has learned. A source familiar with launch plans for the device tells us that the U.S. model will feature a 5.5-inch screen like the Korean version, as opposed to the 5.0-inch Japanese variant.
The planned AT&T release date is...

HTC Desire C, Sony Xperia Tipo, Samsung Galaxy Ace part of new entry-level line-up
We tend to focus on the high-end stuff here on Android Central, but there's a lot of decent smartphone hardware at the entry level too. Today UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has announced 'Super Value,' a new range of entry-level handsets offered on contract (and PAYG, if you're after a dumbphone). Starting at £7...

Google to begin connection Austinites to gigabit services by mid-2014
Good news for residents of Austin, Texas -- your city is next on the list for Google Fiber roll-out. The gigabit cable service, which first launched in Kansas City last year, is set to become available to homes in Austin by mid-2014. Austinites will have the same choice of services open to Google Fiber subscribers elsewhere...

Pre-orders for the 7-inch hybrid device to begin this Friday, Apr. 12
The ASUS Fonepad is one of the few smartphone/tablet hybrid that's actually marketed as a dedicated phone. And although we weren't blown away by the device during our hands-on time at MWC, at least it won't cost too much when it comes to market. TechRadar reports that the 7-incher will sell for £179.99 -- just £20 more...

Google's content portal gets a lighter, brighter visual refresh
Following some recent leakage, it seems the new look Google Play Store app is finally official. Google has just announced that the new-look Play Store app will begin rolling out to Android devices today.
In today's announcement post on the official Android blog, Google says the new-look app is aimed to be "simple" and "clean,"...

Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle and others call Android 'a deceptive way to build advantages for key Google apps'
A group of Google's competitors have sent an antitrust complaint to the EU, claiming that the search giant's licensing of the Android OS and Google Apps give its mobile apps an unfair advantage. Reports from the New York Times say Fairsearch Europe, which consists of Microsoft, Nokia,...

Increase from 2x10 to 2x20MHz of 1800MHz by summer in 10 markets, 'headline' speeds of '80Mbps plus'
EE, the UK's first, and so far only 4G LTE network, has said it's to increase the amount of its 1800MHz spectrum used for LTE, resulting in potentially double data speeds for customers compared to its current offerings. EE says this has produced speeds of up to 130Mbps in laboratory settings, "...

HTC phone owners can get a full-screen experience, and 'Me' tab wonkiness is fixed in latest update
The official Twitter app for Android, given a major visual overhaul last week, has been updated again today with a couple of important bug fixes. First off, the "Me" tab, which would occasionally fail to load, should now be fully functional at all times. And owners of HTC devices will welcome...

A great file transfer tool for power users
As advanced as modern mobile devices are, getting files from one phone or tablet to another can still be problematic. Cloud storage apps like Dropbox can clog up your Internet connection. The BlueTooth-based Android Beam is slow, and can only be used for certain items. And S Beam, though faster, is restricted to Samsung devices.
Enter SuperBeam, an...

5.8-inch qHD display, dual-core Exynos CPU
It's around a week since we first heard of the Samsung Galaxy Mega series -- supposedly two big-screened devices due to launch later this year. Now oft-reliable Samsung rumormonger SamMobile says it has more details on exactly what kind of hardware will be found within the 5.8-inch variant (GT-i9152), and unfortunately for those hoping for a Galaxy...

Android 4.1.2 update available through Kies application today
Good news for owners of the Samsung Galaxy S2 on T-Mobile USA -- your update to Jelly Bean is due to start rolling out today. The update weighs a hefty 756MB and is available through Samsung's Kies software utility, bringing the phone up to Android 4.1.2.
In addition to new TouchWiz bits, T-Mo S2 owners can look forward to smoother...

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